More than 100 products threw their proverbial hat into the ring to be crowned the “Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota” and now only eight products remain.

Last week, voters decided Spam, a folding bow saw from Sven-Saw and a Minnetronix Medical device that tests for concussions weren’t among the best the state has to offer, making for even stiffer competition this week.

The competition, hosted by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and BMO Bank, pits products against each other each week in a head-to-head format, with the public voting to decide which product is deserving of the title.

This week voters will determine the final four from these matchups:

• Sugar from the American Crystal Sugar Co. versus Action Trackchair, an all-terrain wheelchair, from Action Manufacturing

• JonnyPops’ frozen Rainbow Fruit Stacks versus Floating wetland islands from Midwest Floating Island

• The leather Beckman boot from Red Wing Shoe Co. versus Industrial 3D printer from Stratasys

• A new snowmobile from Arctic Cat versus Scotch Magic Tape from 3M

The top four products will be revealed Sept. 30 and voting is open to the public until Oct. 4.

To vote, go to: www.mnchamber.com/coolest-thing-made-minnesota.

— Mars King

St. Paul >> Downtown

Twin Cities Walk for Water this Saturday

The annual three-mile Twin Cities Walk for Water will take place on Saturday at Upper Landing Park in St. Paul.

Families and individuals sporting Walk For Water t-shirts will walk 1.5 miles with an empty bucket, fill the bucket at the halfway mark and carry the filled bucket another 1.5 miles to complete the walk.

The cost is $25 for adults, $10 for kids above five years old and free for children four and under. More information at walkforwater.rallybound.org/2024-twin-cities-walk-for-water.

— Natasha Delion

ST. ANTHONY

Mosque zoning request vote expected today

The St. Anthony City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a zoning request for a proposed community center and mosque. The Tibyan Center, a multipurpose center planned for the former Bremer Bank building on Lowry Avenue near Stinson Parkway, would include a mosque, hosted events and youth programming and classes as well as office space available for rent by businesses and organizations.

The site at 2401 Lowry Ave. NE. is part of a planned unit development district. Applicants making changes to a planned unit development ordinance, such as what was originally approved for the site when it was to be developed into housing, are expected to apply for an amendment under the St. Anthony Zoning Ordinance.

Since the end of May, after the Tibyan Center announced plans for the building, it has been vandalized and broken into seven times in two months, according to the Minnesota Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

— Imani Cruzen

Wisconsin

Motorcyclist dies three days after I-94 crash

A motorcyclist who crashed Thursday afternoon while turning on to Interstate 94 in Hudson has died from his injuries, the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office reports.

Anthony Tibbits, 56, of River Falls, Wis., was riding a 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle north on Wisconsin 35 around 1 p.m. when he crashed on the Interstate 94 onramp, the sheriff’s office said. He was not wearing a helmet.

Tibbits was taken to Regions Hospitals in St. Paul for treatment of his injuries; he died on Sunday.

— Mary Divine

WELCH, MINN.

‘Weird Al’ Yankovic books outdoor show

“Weird Al” Yankovic will hit the road in 2025 for his first major tour in six years, which includes a June 28 stop at Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater.

Tickets for the pop parodist are priced from $159 to $39 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through Ticketmaster.

For his 2025 dates, Yankovic will return to his large-scale set list and stage, with a giant video wall, multiple costume changes and an eight-piece ensemble featuring his original band.

“We’ll be doing all the big crowd-pleasing parodies as well as some deep cuts for the hardcore fans — but with twice as many players on stage, everything is going to sound twice as good,” Yankovic said in a news release.

— Ross Raihala